Reply To: Dovetail quality discussion

I do not spend time making perfect dovetails. I have numerous demands on my time and refuse to sweat the details of every single operation. However, my dovetails are still quite good and I’d compare them favorably to most other craftspersons.

As a general rule, I am an “all precision necessary” woodworker. I would rather have a room full of 90% perfect furniture than a single “flawless” piece. I work the show surfaces to as perfect a state as I think is necessary and have no qualms about leaving plane tracks, torn grain, pencil lines, etc. on secondary surfaces.